The Tourist of Venice

After my tiny two day adventure in the tiny country of San Marino, I arrived in Venice where I have been for the last day. Venice is an amazing city. The moment you leave the door of the train station you are hit with the Grand Canal and every sterotype of the city you’ve ever heard. The city is a giant maze. I’ve taken several walks around since I’ve arrived and am still pretty clueless as to where I am. The city also really stinks at low tide due to the alage which is growing on the surface of everything.

Vencie today seems 100% devoted to tourism, yet unlike some other places I have visited, the mass of tourists doesn’t seem to distract from the city as much. You can walk around and be pretty oblivious of everyone around you. Take away the gelato stands and the tourist traps, and the city looks like it would have several hundred years ago. Being a photographer in Venice is like being a kid in a candy store.

I will be here another two or three days before I head off for a brief stop in Milan before going to France. I might take a day trip to Padua from Venice because it is so close by train. I’ve heard good things about the tour of the University (the 2nd oldest in Italy).

My internet access is limited here. The internet connection at my hotel isn’t working so I have to rely on internet cafes.

Get My FREE 100 Page Travel Photography eBook!

7 Responses to "The Tourist of Venice"

Padua have the 2nd old university in the world, and it’s really pretty; but the real gem of the city is the Scrovegni Chappel, with the frescos of Giotto. And in the ancient squares of Padua you can drink the spritz, the best italian pre-dining cocktail. Have a nice trip!

Gary, I send you an @ message on Tweet, but wanted to amplify. Vicenza is scrunched in between mega-popular cities Verona and Venice, and has Florence, Rome, and Milano all within a few hours train trip. That leaves Vicenza hugely overlooked by all the travel guides. I lived in Vicenza and all my visitors raved about the place and the nearby villages, usually liking them more than Venice and Rome. Something to think about, and a way to get off the standard tourist route…

A lot depends on what you enjoy seeing. If it’s the art, there’s still a lot to see around Venice! Same goes for the cityscape, since there are some special corners to be explored. If you’re ready to venture out to the lagoon islands, Alfonso’s right that the lace-making island of Burano is a must for great photos! Lovely too is the island of Torecello right next to it, which was a major center of Venetian culture in the early Middle Ages but is largely deserted now. If however you’re interested in Padua, the Scrovegni Chapel is NOT to be missed (practically single-handedly kicked off the Italian Renaissance). At the university, you can take a tour and see Galileo’s lectern as well as one of the oldest anatomy theaters in Europe. The Church of the Santo is also worth going to if you’re interested in seeing a major pilgrimage site to a miracle-working Catholic shrine.